Heart disease is the world's biggest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives annually. A new 10-step plan that promises to ELIMINATE your risk of dying from heart disease has been revealed.

Non drinkers: They seemed to be at an increased risk of health problems

Tim Stockwell, director of the Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada, said: "We know that people generally cut down on drinking as they age, especially if they have health problems.

"People who continue to be moderate drinkers later in life are healthier.

"They're not sick, or taking medications that can interact with alcohol."

This may create a misleading association between moderate drinking and improved health.

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Heart disease: It's the UK's number one killer

In the research, while current moderate drinkers had lower rates of heart disease death than non-drinkers, for people who started drinking before the age of 55 this wasn’t always the case.

Additionally, those who researchers found didn’t drink and were less healthy probably started to avoid alcohol due to their poorer health.

Stockwell added: “We can't 'prove' it one way or the other. But we can say there are grounds for a healthy skepticism around the idea that moderate drinking is good for you."

According to official UK guidelines, men and women should drink no more than 14 units per week - the equivalent of six small glasses of wine.

Stockwell said that while drinking small amounts shouldn’t cause you much harm, “the notion that one or two drinks a day is doing us good may just be wishful thinking.”